Perhaps
by charlottekate
Summary: Rory & Jess's relationship is developing, much to the displeasure of Lorelai. Rated M for future chapters...
1. A Kiss Can't Hurt

Rory was entwined with Jess on the old sofa in Luke's apartment, far too distracted by each other to hear her mother coming up the stairs.

"Rory, are we-" she stopped abruptly as they sprang apart, her daughter blushing profusely as a small smirk grew upon Jess's face.

"Mom, we were just looking for my... bracelet," she began "it must have fallen down the cushions earlier." Jess reached down to lightly touch her fingertips as she spoke, Lorelai raising her eyebrows at the action.

Ever since Rory had chosen him at the dance marathon, he had become even fonder of the fascinating girl. The girl that had picked him over Dean, and although he would strongly deny it in public, he simply craved her touch. It made him feel more alive than he had ever known with the public intimacies of Shane.

Jess smiled at Rory as her mother led her toward Luke's stairs, not stopping until the last flick of her hair had moved through the door. He ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled heavily, still confused by the way that she made him feel. It all looked so simple for her – she had had this with Dean after all – but Jess had never truly felt a connection to another like this before.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Lorelai didn't say another word until they were outside of Doose's market, when she stopped abruptly, turning to look Rory in the eye.

"Is he... pressuring you?" She asked it with a slightly pained expression, as though she didn't really want to know the answer. Untrustworthy boyfriends were a new territory for her; used to the calmness of hanging out with Dean. Rory simply looked at her mother in shock, narrowing her eyes as she simply answered "No. Not at all!" She couldn't quite believe the question, did her mom really have this low an opinion of the boy she was seeing?

"It's just that you were never like that with Dean and I never had to worry that you might become like... become like me." She hung her head slightly toward the end, as if she sensed the embarrassment in Rory's mind. It was true that things with Dean had never been quite so passionate; everything was appropriate for Lorelai since the three of them were together so frequently.

Rory shook her head slightly, noticing that her mom's bottom lip began to quiver in wait of a response. "You don't need to worry about it, it's not how you think. You know how much time we spend sat talking about books in our kitchen – I seem to remember you telling us only last week to get with the 21st century? Well this is my version of growing up Mom, Jess is exactly what I want and you'll grow to like him eventually. It's unfair on Luke too, you know how much it hurts him that you can't stand to be around Jess." She took her mother's hand, squeezed it a little and they continued to walk home in the evening light.

**_Hope you like my first chapter - i've never published anything before and eek. I will probably cry with joy if someone review this (even if it's bad) because people will have read it! xx_**


	2. A Nephew Untamed

After figuring that it was a long enough time for the Gilmores to have disappeared, Jess ambled down the stairs into the diner, scraping every shred of emotion from his face as he went.

As he stepped behind the counter, Luke swerved past carrying three full plates and cursing under his breath about Taylor and "his damn tourist plots". He looked up to Jess and gestured towards the coffee pots – refills were definitely needed around the understaffed, packed diner.

"Where's Lane at?" he called to Luke as he grabbed the pots.

"Some band thing, she called earlier to say that Zac was insisting and I didn't know how to say no..." for someone that spent their day serving food to the same people, Luke's people skills were sure rusty.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The rest of the evening in the diner was hectic until Babette and Maury led everyone outside for a singsong after Luke's protests – then he hurriedly closed the door, flipping the sign as he retreated.

Luke and Jess worked quietly for a few minutes, until Luke broke it with "she's not like you, you know."

Jess was so shocked that Luke would say something of this manner to him that he was momentarily lost for words.

"What are talking about!?"

"She isn't impulsive. Everything is thought through; hell – i've seen that girl make a pro-con list before ordering pancakes. I've watched her grow up, know her better than most, and if you're going to do anything to hurt her... then you should just end it now."

Jess simply raised his eyebrows then shook his head in disbelief. He should have known that no-one could believe in him. In a town like this with such perfect ideals, who would ever trust the dangerous city boy with the leather jacket? Even his uncle had no faith in him.

He grabbed his coat from the hook behind the door, then walked out of the diner past Luke without another word.

Luke had known that Jess wouldn't like what he had to say, but it was important, right? He had to hear it... didn't he? He'd have to ask Lorelai for advice. This was an area of teenager caring that he couldn't quite judge.


End file.
